Freedom: My Book of Firsts

In this book Jaycee Dugard describes the life she never thought she would live to see: from her first sight of her mother to her first time meeting her grownup sister, her first trip to the dentist to her daughters' first day of school, her first taste of champagne to her first hangover, her first time behind the wheel to her first speeding ticket, and her first dance at a friend's wedding to her first thoughts about the possibility of a future relationship.

On May 6, 2013, Amanda Berry made headlines around the world when she fled a Cleveland area home and called 911, saying: "Help me, I'm Amanda Berry.... I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years." A horrifying story rapidly unfolded. Ariel Castro, a local school bus driver, had separately lured Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight to his home, where he kept them chained in the basement. In the decade that followed, the three were raped, psychologically abused, and threatened with death.

My Story

On June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, the daughter of a close-knit Mormon family, was taken from her home in the middle of the night by religious fanatic, Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. She was kept chained, dressed in disguise, repeatedly raped, and told she and her family would be killed if she tried to escape. After her rescue on March 12, 2003, she rejoined her family and worked to pick up the pieces of her life.

Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed

Michelle was a young single mother when she was kidnapped by a local school bus driver named Ariel Castro. For more than a decade afterward, she endured unimaginable torture at the hand of her abductor. In 2003 Amanda Berry joined her in captivity, followed by Gina DeJesus in 2004. Their escape on May 6, 2013, made headlines around the world.

Buried Memories: Katie Beers' Story

In 1992, nine-year-old Katie Beers was kidnapped by a family friend and locked in an underground box for 17 days. Katie has now come forward to tell the story that created a national media storm as reporters uncovered the truth about her prekidnapping life of neglect and sexual abuse and the details of her rescue. She shares how this experience and the recent death of her kidnapper, John Esposito, has affected her life.

3,096 Days in Captivity: The True Story of My Abduction, Eight Years of Enslavement, and Escape

On March 2, 1998, 10-year-old Natascha Kampusch was kidnapped and found herself locked in a house that would be her home for the next eight years. She was starved, beaten, treated as a slave, and forced to work for her deranged captor. But she never forgot who she was, and she never gave up hope of returning to the world. This is her story.

The Lost Girls: The True Story of the Cleveland Abductions and the Incredible Rescue of Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina Dejesus

In The Lost Girls, John Glatt tells the truly amazing story of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight - who were kidnapped, imprisoned, and repeatedly raped and beaten in a Cleveland house for over a decade by Ariel Castro - and their amazing escape in May 2013, which made headlines all over the world.

Violated: A shocking and harrowing survival story from the notorious Rotherham abuse scandal

The shocking first true account from one of the young girls who lived through and survived the Rotherham sex abuse scandal. In the summer of 2014, the Rotherham sex abuse scandal sent shockwaves through the nation. A report revealed that since the 1990s, up to 1,400 young girls in the town had been regularly abused by sex gangs, predominantly comprised of Pakistani men.

Beau Henry Sheppard says:"Horror Story and shocking to think this happened in modern day Britain."

Lost and Found: The True Story of Jaycee Lee Dugard and the Abduction That Shocked the World

In 1991, eleven-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard was kidnapped on her morning walk to the school bus. But despite her family's tireless efforts, Jaycee's disappearance remained a mystery. Then, in August 2009, a registered sex offender named Phillip Garrido appeared on the University of California, Berkeley, campus alongside two young women whose unusual behavior sparked concern among campus officials and law enforcement. That visit would pave the way for a shocking discovery: That Garrido was Jaycee Lee Dugard's kidnapper.

Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir

Amanda Knox spent four years in a foreign prison for a crime she did not commit. In the fall of 2007, the 20-year-old college coed left Seattle to study abroad in Italy, but her life was shattered when her roommate was murdered in their apartment. After a controversial trial, Amanda was convicted and imprisoned. But in 2011, an appeals court overturned the decision and vacated the murder charge. Free at last, she returned home to the U.S., where she has remained silent, until now.

For Laci: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, and Justice

Every mother's worst fear became Sharon Rocha's reality. On Christmas Eve 2002, she received a phone call from her son-in-law saying that her daughter, Laci, was missing. In the hours, days, and eventually months that followed, Sharon struggled to avoid accepting what no parent should ever have to face: the certain knowledge that her child is never coming home.

I Wasn't Born Bulletproof: Lessons I've Learned (So You Don't Have To)

Since catapulting to reality TV stardom on the hit MTV series Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant, Maci Bookout has become a mother of three, a successful businesswoman, and a sought-after motivational speaker - all by the tender age of 25. As she traveled across the country, speaking to young people and sharing her inspiring story, the one comment Maci kept hearing over and over was, "You're so strong. You make it all look so easy." But Maci was not born "bulletproof."

The Secrets of My Life: A History

The book will cover Caitlyn Jenner's childhood as Bruce Jenner and rise to fame as a gold-medal-winning Olympic decathlete; her marriages and her relationships with her children; her transition; and her experience as the world's most famous transgender woman.

Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs

In September 2007, Elissa Wall, the star witness against polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs, gave captivating testimony of how Jeffs forced her to marry her first cousin at age 14. This harrowing account proved to be the most compelling evidence against Jeffs, showing the harsh realities of this closed community and the lengths to which Jeffs went in order to control the sect's women. Now, in this courageous memoir, Wall tells the incredible story of how she emerged from the confines of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints and helped bring one of America's most notorious criminals to justice.

Always seeking to be an obedient Priesthood girl, in her teens Rebecca Musser became the nineteenth wife of her people's prophet: 85-year-old Rulon Jeffs. Finally sickened by the abuse she suffered and saw around her, she pulled off a daring escape and sought to build a new life and family.

By Their Father's Hand: The True Story of the Wesson Family Massacre

Neighbors were unaware of what went on behind the tightly closed doors of a house in Fresno, California - the home of an imposing, 300-pound Marcus Wesson, his wife, children, nieces, and grandchildren. But on March 12, 2004, gunshots were heard inside the Wesson home, and police officers responding to what they believed was a routine domestic disturbance were horrified by the senseless carnage they discovered when they entered.

Church of Lies

"My name is Flora Jessop. I've been called apostate, vigilante, and crazy bitch, and maybe I am. But some people call me a hero, and I'd like to think they're right too. If I am a hero, maybe it's because every time I can play a part in saving a child or a woman from a life of servitude and degradation, I'm saving a little piece of me, too. was one of twenty-eight children born to my dad and his three wives."

Bulletproof

Maci Bookout was just a normal, slightly overachieving high school girl in Chattanooga, Tennessee. But then she got pregnant, and everything turned upside down. Even as she rose to fame on MTV's hit series Teen Mom, Maci was struggling to balance life as a single teen mom with her own hopes and dreams...all while honoring her own sense of independence.

The Unbreakable Child

The Unbreakable Child, a story about forgiving the unforgivable, is a riveting journey inside the secretive underbelly of the St. Thomas / St. Vincent Orphan Asylum in rural Kentucky. It is the first book in the United States to confront the institutionalized physical and emotional abuse suffered by countless orphans at the hands of Catholic clergy over these last decades.

Call Me Tuesday: Based on a True Story

At eight years old, Tuesday Storm's childhood is forever lost when the death of her older sister Audrey sends her family spiraling out of control into the darkest of dysfunction. In the wake of the tragedy, Tuesday's mother, distraught and looking for a scapegoat, singles Tuesday out from her siblings to take on the blame for Audrey's death, and then targets her for unspeakable abuse.

My Prison Without Bars: The Journey of a Damaged Woman to Someplace Normal

My Prison without Bars is a courageous and harrowing journey through the catacombs of hell, from the mind and voice of a little girl, living with her own monster underneath her bed. Written in first person, this novel is not a memoir, but more a psychological thriller based on true events; chronicling one woman's attempt to claw her way out of the darkness of Child Sexual Abuse, while struggling to find normal, in a not-so-normal world. It is poignant, dark and graphic; not for the faint of heart.

Pride Over Pity

Fans of MTV's Teen Mom have watched Kailyn Lowry grow from a vulnerable, pregnant teen into a fiercely independent young mother. Through it all Kailyn has faced challenges with her head held high and her spirit intact. In a moving effort to finally put the past behind her, Kailyn shares her troubled, often painful story and reveals the dark secrets she has so closely guarded.

Call Me Cockroach: Based on a True Story

Our prisons and mental hospitals are filled with tragic stories like Tuesday Storm's. Her early childhood was riddled with torturous "games" and violent physical attacks. She was isolated from the rest of her family, locked in an attic with nothing but a bare bed and a bucket for a toilet, and fed just enough to be kept alive. The experts say it's next to impossible to find the soul's light in a dark past like Tuesday's.

Escape

When she was 18 years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger - a man 32 years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolyn's heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church.

Publisher's Summary

"In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. I was just like you. Until the day my life was stolen. For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse. For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation. On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. I dont think of myself as a victim. I survived. A Stolen Life is my story in my own words, in my own way, exactly as I remember it."

Jaycee does a terrific job of telling her story. It is heart wrenchingly honest and gives amazing insight into both the worst of human beings and the strongest. She does jump around a bit so you have to follow close and give it your full attention.

I would caution anybody who is not sure about reading something so tragic. There are parts that will make you downright sick. However not all of it is just horrid. If you can get through the tough parts, there are many hopeful parts as well

As far as listening to it versus reading it. I think it is great Jaycee narrated it herself, however she is not a practiced or professional narrator. She has a bit of a lisp that you get used to but can be distracting. If any of these things will distract a listener from the story they should read it instead because it's worth it!

I'm reluctant to criticize at all for fear of being beat up by other reviewers who seem to think any negative criticism is criticism against Jaycee herself - but here goes: I almost stopped listening on numerous occasions - her story is incredible on so many levels and I applaud Jaycee for writing it and for sharing her story. I kept reminding myself that if she could endure so many years of what she went through, I could withstand listening to it - it's tough to hear what she had to endure! I also find myself a little more aware and so many of us take for granted our safety in our cars or bedrooms as we're listening to this story - sadly, there are other young children with similar or worse fates than Jaycee. The criticism I have, and it's a strong one, is that I found the narration horrible and distracting from the story - I would highly recommend reading this book instead of listening to it.

I was fascinated by this author's story because I lived in the same town where she was held captive during that time, so I am familiar with the area. The book isn't an enjoyable book in the traditional way, but I was curious to hear how she managed during such a terrible ordeal. Her courage is amazing. I finished it in one day and couldn't stop listening. Parts of it are hard to listen to, but certainly worthwhile. It's a good lesson to all of us to never give up hope.

No one else could have narrated this story. Her brave and mature unburdening of the horrors she lived through are testament to her strength of character. The stark facts were presented unemotionally and concisely but her overwhelming love for her mother and belief she would live through her never ending nightmare shone through like the full moon she so cherished. A future in writing must surely be her destiny.

This is the stunning story of an 18 year ordeal told frankly and directly by a living victim. The courage and intelligence of this young woman is mind-boggling. The crimes committed against her are terrifying and the value of her insights is beyond computation.

Jaycee Dugard was in a difficult situation before she was abducted. Struggling with low self-esteem and a poor view of male caregivers in her home, she was subjected to abduction, rape, slave labor, mental anguish and torture, and brainwashing at the hands of a male predator and his female accomplice.

In great detail, Jaycee explains what she was forced to endure physically and sexually, how the on-set of Stockholm Syndrome was induced by her captors, her two unassisted births in a tent at the ages of 13 and 15. It reads like a Ruth Rendell novel but it is the documented true account of a child abduction.

Unlike Sabine Dardenne, whose account of her abduction, I Choose to Live, was ghost written, Jaycee Dugard, with a 5th grade education, wrote this account herself and reads it in her own voice. It is all the more disturbing for that. Dugard expresses her anger at her father and stepfather, her abductor and his accomplice, and the system that failed her. But her anger, though palpable to any listener, is tempered by her intelligence, her natural sense of the order of things, and compassion, perhaps her greatest virtue. She also expresses her love for her mother, her two daughters, and the animals who were her only companions for the first two years of her captivity. These animals were given and taken away at the whim of her captors.

I am very interested in this social problem and read most of the books written by victims. Nothing compares to listening to Jaycee Dugard's audible record. It is not always sequential. It is not always on topic. But it is the best example of what actually happens to a human brain that has gone through this kind of ordeal. Jaycee is one of the few who live to tell and she has done a spectacular job of bringing her experience back to the surface. If you have a strong stomach and a need or desire to understand stranger abductions, this book is the most important work on the subject to come along to date.

Jaycee deserves a fulfilled life for surviving this harrowing life in captivity.
She is a natural writer and story teller. I especially liked that she described the sexual part just once and then just referenced it later. The sexual perversity of PG if well documented and well told. Hurrah for her!! I hope she is able to continue writing. She should try her hand at fiction, she has a wealth of background to use. Enjoy your new life Jaycee!

What a well written from the heart book. Jaycee must be applauded for the courage to relive her ordeal & the wisdom to put it in writing. Most people would have hidden from the public eye & just left the details to our imaginations. Jaycee is a strong, courageous & very articulate young woman. Her daughters & Mother must be extremely proud of her. Like one of the other reviewers said - it is not a feel good book but it is a must read! Thank you Jaycee for having the courage to share.

I had just finished Lost and Found by John Glatt, in which he told the story of Jaycee's abductor, Phillip Garrido. That book mainly focused on Garrido's mental illness, head injury, and how the criminal justice system dealt with that type of offender. After reading that, I still felt a need to understand someone like Garrido and even more so, someone like Jaycee Dugard who was taken at such a young age, brainwashed, and continually abused in ways and for lengths of time that most humans cannot fathom. This memoir was really interesting because Jaycee was extremely open about her experience and was able to convey that in a clear relatable way.

What struck me most in both books was how the 'lucky' combination of both their personalities mixed in such a way that Jaycee was not a threat to Garrido, who probably would have killed her if she had been confrontational. I say lucky only because it likely helped her live. Garrido was extremely narcissistic and psychopathic and Jaycee was very compliant. I cannot stop thinking about various combinations of people and how it shapes their world view of what is normal. I found the whole situation confusing and worked hard to understand what it must have been like for this poor girl whose brain had to go through mental gymnastics to survive such a terrible idea. What was most interesting is that the very skills her brain gave her to survive were the skills that allowed her to be captive for at least a decade or more after she could have gotten free. But, how useful is that to even think about, considering that if her brain was focused on fighting and getting free, she would likely have been dead long before she could have escaped?

After reading Lost and Found, I was left with the mistaken impression that Jaycee would not have wanted her diary entries used for public consumption. Now I realize it was Jaycee herself who included her diary entries in her own book. She did this because whatever happened to her was not something she asked for. She felt that to hide the horror would be to hide Garrido's secrets. Jaycee is clear that he is the one who should feel ashamed, not her. That was a powerful narrative for anyone who suffered abuse even remotely similar to what Jaycee suffered.

My goal in reading both books was to understand humans in a more complete way. I think it will take some time for me to reflect on the various personalities in this book before I accomplish this goal. After reading, I feel I understand humans less than I thought I did, not more. This is valuable for me because the books I like most are those that force me to reevaluate what I think I know.

I am writing this review before I have finished this listen. I bought this book immediately following the appearance of Jaycee Dugard on a television interview. I wanted to know more about how such a horrific situation could have possibly persisted for so many years, and, as a student of psychology, get the full story of the demented couple who kept her captive.

I am about three-quarters of the way through her story, and I feel compelled to warn a potential reader that this story is not for the faint of heart. In fact that is an understatement. The first third of the listen is so disturbing that someone sensitive to perverse treatment of children may want to seriously reconsider passing on listening to this read. I could only listen to this section of the book in short intervals, needing to put if away for several days before returning to it, as Jaycee's graphic descriptions of her abuse is so unthinkable that I found it stayed with me for hours, and even days after reading it. There were several times that I seriously contemplated not listening to any more. The only reason I have continued on with it is to learn what happens in the end to this depraved, and insane man and his equally perverted wife. No matter what is done to them in the way of punishment or justice, it will never be enough to give Jaycee back the precious years of her life that they stole.

Jaycee is not a professional narrator, but listening to her recount what was done to her, I realize that only she could be the appropriate person to tell her story.

As for the rating of this book... how does one rate something like this? How does one decide what is appropriate to gauge how "good" a story such as this can be? I honestly don't know, but ultimately I think that Jaycee has done an admirable and courageous job in her retelling of her story and that it merits a strong rating, if, for no other reason, than after all she had been through, she deserves to be heard.

I heard of her amazing release on the news a few years ago...the book was quite amazing to listen to her story,horrendous in many parts but must give hope to parents of missing children. Very interesting to listen to

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Wicked

England

4/21/12

Overall

"Captivating"

Thank you Jaycee, for having the courage to tell your amazing story. It is a story of survival in the most harrowing of circumstances. Not only did she survive but she has gained strength and has grown into a remarkable woman and mother. Hearing her story, read herself is a truly humbling experience and one that will stay with me for a long time. Not because you were a victim, but because of how you have survived.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Lisa M.

4/8/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"A brilliantly written and narrated book"

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Horrific at times, but overall inspirational. It's hard to believe all she went through and she still comes across so happy and positive. Jaycee' s story is very sad, yet the happy ending is truly wonderful. I am going to download her second book next to continue hearing the happier side of her story.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Carrie

uk

4/2/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"What a wonderful young woman"

I can't praise this book enough. This strong young woman and mother is obviously very intelligent too. I hope she continues to gain strength in her life and relationships, and I hope she continues to write. I will read or listen to anything she has to offer. She manages to get her heartbreaking story across so well. I'm very glad she chose to read this audio book herself. It made it SO powerful.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

melissa

7/29/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Awe inspiring young lady and story"

Where does A Stolen Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

amazed at her bravery especially when first abducted at age 11. She has a real ability to understand her captors' characters which she uses to make things more bearable for her. Such a strong girl. I was in awe of her. Very sad. My favourite bit was when she befriended a spider in her room because she was so lonely. She used to talk to it and named it Bianca. This brought tears to my eyes.

What other book might you compare A Stolen Life to, and why?

I was very interested but not sure i could read another abduction book for a while as so sad.

Have you listened to any of Jaycee Dugard’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Yes by being completely open and honest.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing i was glad the author read it.

Any additional comments?

one of the things that came across in her story was her utter selflessness. She really believed that it was best that philip had chosen her so that another child did not have to gonthrough what she had. Amazing!! Would thoroughly recommend people to read this.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Millie

7/25/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Well narrated for such a traumatic story"

Very well detailed book, very shocking in places. Skipped a lot of chapters in middle, mainly the cat diaries etcetera Brave lady

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

jane joensen

7/15/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"A heartbreaking true story"

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book to a friend but maybe as a paperback

What did you like best about this story?

I am so pleased the Jaycee got her life back and I give much thought to the fact that she was kept hidden for so many years. She is such a strong girl.

What didn’t you like about Jaycee Dugard’s performance?

I think that it would have been better to have a professional to do the narrating as I find Jaycee's voice tiring in the long run.

Was A Stolen Life worth the listening time?

It was worth the listening time but it was also very sad to listen to.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Mrs. S. E. Bellwood

United Kingdom

6/5/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"sad"

very sad but a little amateurish in the writing and reading of the story. I would have liked to know what sentences Phillip and Nancy recieved

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Amelia

United Kingdom

7/14/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Human darkness & hidden depths of character"

I watched with interest this story unfold in the media and wondered how anyone could survive such abuse. Moreover the depts of darkness and depravity of the perpetrators is vast. Reading the book written and read by Jaycee does give some insight into it and the fact that she survived is commendable. I think Jaycee was brave to tell what she did However Im sure this is just the tip of the Iceberg and far more happened that we the public will never be privy to. This is as it should be as certain facts should remain hidden for the protection of Jaycee and her daughters. I think her mother showed such strength and devotion to her daughter and grandchildren and hope that they can go on now to have as normal a life as they can. I would recommend this book but it is clearly not for everyone and would kindly recommend the potential reader to please read the synopsis before purchasing.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Mrs

Rayleigh Essex, United Kingdom

2/16/13

Overall

"Such a sad book - It had to be told -"

Jaycee was very brave writing this book, it must have been so difficult for her re living all of those years. It was interesting, but very sad at the same time. There were graphic sexual chapters which bravely she left in the book.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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